Tables and leafs

[Stewart Crick]

Does anyone know of a design for building a table top with a leaf that doesn't involve a mechanical (ie: metal hardware) slide system?

Stu

[Mark Kelly]

I have a table that my dad used to eat from when he was a little boy that has a VERY unique system that I have never seen anywhere else. It slides on a wood slide system and the leaf actually folds and is stored right under the table, hidden by the aprons. I will have to take pictures though, as I don't have any idea exactly how it works. Never really looked at it that closely. Unfortunately, I won't be able to take pictures until later tonight, sorry.

[Stewart Crick]

Thanks for that quick response Mark! I've heard of systems similiar to the one on your Dad's table and would greatly appreiciate the pictures!

Stu

[Jamie Buxton]

Stewart --
You say you want to avoid "mechanical (ie: metal hardware) slides". Would you clarify that a bit? Would you accept designs with metal hinges, not slides? Would you accept designs with wood slides, not metal?

[Stewart Crick]

Jamie,

Yes I would consider metal hinges and wooden slides


Stewart --
You say you want to avoid "mechanical (ie: metal hardware) slides". Would you clarify that a bit? Would you accept designs with metal hinges, not slides? Would you accept designs with wood slides, not metal?

[Bob Costello]

Stewart,
Check out the book "Greene and Greene, Furniture and Related Designs" by R.L. Makinson. On page 147 there are pictures of Henry Greene's Richardson dining table that describe a metal free table extension system.

Here is how it works. Imagine a rectangular dining table with wings that fold under the ends and are held in place by the tips of a pair of sliding supports that protrude through notches in the side apron. To expand the table, the sliders are pushed back and the wing is folded up (there are barrel hinges attached to the bottem surfaces). The sliders are then slid out to their full extension to support the wing. The sliders are shaped with a notch on their tops which clears the hinge barrels as they are being slid out. The sliders also have a ramp on thier bottoms which rides up on the bottom of the apron notches to force the end of the sliders up against the bottom of the extended wing to support it.

Hope this helps.

Bob C

[Carl Eyman]

If you have access to Norm Abrams' projects for 2004, the double pedestal dining table he made had no hardware in the mechanism. I have the plans. Go to the NYW web site, look at the table and PM me if interested. Also Rockler and others handle all wood slides. I've used them and am completely satisfied.

[Mark Kelly]

Ok, let's see if I can post multiple pictures in one post. I took some pictures of the table yesterday. Since I was in a hurry, I may have missed some important parts of the sliding mechanism. If so, let me know and I can take better pictures (or more pictures) this weekend.

The first picture below is the underside of the table with the leaf on the table. The leaf is multiple colors, with a hinges in the middle. The bar attached to the left side of the leaf has dowel-like ends for the maneuverability of the leaf. To the right, a piece of wood is there to hold the leaf when it is hidden. To the extreme left is the sliding piece. More on that in a little bit.

The next picture is the top of the table with the leaf being folded. The table extends far enough out to allow this the dowels that keep the leaf centered to not break off.

A picture of the leaf when it is folded and th table is ready to be pushed back together. Note the sliding rails which are the at the top and bottom of the this shot.

The last picture is of the sliding rail. Pretty neat design for the rail.

One thing of note, at least on this table. When it is extended, there is NO apron where the leaf is. It looks silly this way, but if you have a big enough table cloth, then it doesn't really matter, I guess.

[Frank Pellow]

I have a table with no leafs in the middle but, rather, extensions that slide in from both ends. There is no metal.

Are you interested in this Stewart? If you are, I can take some pictures.

[Carl Eyman]

Stewart, I have Norm's design. Upon a close look it require that each half of the table be self suporting - as in a double pedestal table. Will that be the case for you? I can send you some sketches by snail mail if you wish. Send me your address if they will do you any good and you want them.

[Ralph Barhorst]

I have attached some pictures of a table that I saw at an antique shop in Amsterdam, Holland. It is quite similar to the one that Mark discussed. This one extends the table top while the legs and apron remain fixed. I think that this makes the table look better when extended. The workmanship on this table was not very good but I liked the concept.